Brug bij Langham Mill 1913 - 1918

Alexander Shilling made this drawing, Brug bij Langham Mill, with what looks like a graphite stick, and maybe a soft one at that. I love the way he's built up the marks to give a real sense of weight to the trees and stonework, especially around those bridge arches. There's something so immediate about a drawing like this; you can feel the artist working fast, capturing the scene before the light changes. The texture comes from the pressure he's applied to the paper, those dark, scribbled areas contrasting with the lighter, sketchier lines. See how the marks around the trees give a sense of volume, and the way the lines describing the bridge are rough and uneven? It’s like he’s feeling his way through the scene. This reminds me a little of the landscape sketches that Van Gogh made, that same sense of urgency and a desire to connect with the world. For me, art is about that human connection, and this drawing definitely brings that to the fore.